1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to sock and shoe linings. More particularly, the present invention relates to socks and shoe linings which will absorb shock and pressures applied thereto during human activity. Furthermore, the present invention relates to socks and shoe linings which will provide a suitable jog of movement upon application of pressures thereto.
2. Description of Related Art
As is well known, the feet, particularly the soles of the feet, carry the entire body weight. The many shoe sole constructions found on the market absorb only a small portion of the shock caused as the shoe contacts the floor. Shocks which are not absorbed can cause damage to the body. This occurs in the soles of the feet, which have many bones and many jointed surfaces, and in the knees which have fine meniscus stabilizing the joint and permitting smooth movement. The spinal cord is built for many vertebrae, with disks between them which are very sensitive to changes, and which permit bending and straightening of the body.
Over a long period of athletic activity, the beating and shock imparted to the feet may cause stress fractures in the leg. Also, the shocks cause changes in the structure of the vertebrae, affecting the disks between them, by making them thin and irregular due to friction, so that they lose their flexibility. The damage causes limited movement and flexibility for the entire length of the spinal cord, leading to neck and shoulder pain, poor blood circulation and stability problems.
The affects of the damage to the disks are felt frequently in back pain, along with a tendency for increased fatigue, and over time the growth of bone fibers is expected in the area around the vertebrae. Sometimes, this brings about a split in the disk as it explodes under the pressure to its soft center. Damage to the disks of the vertebrae can also cause distortion and straightness of the back which brings about pressure on nerves and may cause a neurological block leading to paralysis. In addition, problems including headaches, dizziness and deadening of the senses cause major day-to-day discomforts.
During athletic activity, such as during the play of football, great pressures and stresses are applied by the knees and the feet. When the structures associated with the shoe do not overcome the pressures applied to the knee, knee damage can occur. Ultimately, the strong torque applied by the feet to the earth and upon the knees can cause inherent and longer term damage to the knee structure. As such, there is a need to provide an improved system of shock absorption which is user specific and preserves the maximum amount of energy accumulation during compression of material from which the sole or sock is constructed, reducing wastage by friction or heat and enabling maximum energy to be returned after compression.
In the past, various patents have issued relating to such shoe and sock constructions. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,760,056, issued on Dec. 18, 1973 to M. F. Rudy, describes a method of custom fitting an inflatable bladder to a wearer""s foot. The inflatable bladder is made of a suitable elastomer which may be heated, distended and then cooled at room temperature to set the bladder in the distended shape. The bladder will custom fit to the wearer""s foot.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,765,422, issued on Oct. 16, 1973 to H. M. Smith, describes a fluid cushioned podiatrac insole. This insole is in the form of a flat flexible envelope in the outline of a wearer""s foot. The envelope contains a liquid or semi-liquid flowable cushioning medium. A transverse wall divides the interior of the insole into front and rear chambers. The transverse wall extends along the forward edge of the metatarsal pressure points of the foot of the wearer. The rear chamber has longitudinal walls directing the flowable medium forwardly and rearwardly in such chamber.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,067,257, issued on Nov. 26, 1991 to S. Coomer, describes an injection fitted boot liner which is fitted by low pressure fluid injection over the wearer""s anatomy. This liner is formed by permeation of select areas of porous padding, surrounding areas of non-porous padding and with scarfed abutment of padding for gradual softness variation. An impervious membrane occluding portions of the porous padding is used to control fluid resin penetration.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,392,534, issued on Feb. 28, 1995 to T. E. Grim, teaches a vacuum formed comfortable sole which uses vacuum formable bladders in the sole of the shoes or in the sides of the upper portions of the shoes. The bladders are filled with material, such as small spherical particles, which retain a configuration conforming to the shape of the feet under reduced pressure conditions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,175, issued on Aug. 27, 1991 to Rowen et al., teaches a user-specific shoe sole coil spring system having a layout of individual coil springs which are seated in a shoe sole having prefabricated circular depressions. The coil spring system has stiffness characteristics which are customized to serve the needs of different users and different applications. The system provides shock absorption distribution patterns and energy return patterns for the shoe sole to fit the requirements of the particular application. The sole has a cover strip overlaying the coil spring system which is openable and reclosable for allowing changes in the layout, as required.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,090, issued on Nov. 19, 1996 to A. Condini, teaches an inner boot tongue of a ski boot which has an outer part formed of an impermeable semi-rigid plastic having an alveolate structure and which is covered directly by a foam-type padding and by a woven or knitted liner. The air contained in the alveoles of the alveolate structure forms a particularly effective damper cushion in dynamic compression.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,149, issued on Jul. 15, 1997 to M. W. Dalebout, describes a sport boot system incorporating a pliable inner liner within a rigid outer shell. The inner liner is of a foam material and is provided with a single bifurcation at its outer side to provide a tongueless entry access opening. Relief structures are positioned at the front of the liner to provide enhanced forward flexibility and to increase comfort.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a sock which has maximum shock-absorption characteristics.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a sock which provides suitable xe2x80x9cgivexe2x80x9d so as to prevent damaging torques from adversely affecting the knee and back structure of the human body.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a sock and/or shoe liner which cushions against shocks and impacts occurring during normal walking or running activity.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a sock and/or shoe linings system which are comfortable and easy to use.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims.
The present invention is a sock for a human foot which comprises an outer layer having a shape generally conforming to the shape of the human foot, a resilient member layer positioned adjacent to the outer layer and extending around an interior of the outer layer, a packing layer positioned adjacent to the resilient member layer and extending around an interior of the resilient member layer, and a deformable member means affixed to the packing layer. The deformable member means serves to conform to a contour of the human foot upon the application of pressure by the human foot.
In the present invention, the outer layer is a fibrous material, such as cotton. The outer layer could also be the surface of an interior of a shoe. The outer layer can be permanently affixed to the interior of the shoe.
The resilient member layer comprises a plurality of springs. Each of the springs has one end secured to the outer layer and an opposite end secured to the packing layer. The plurality of springs extend entirely around the packing layer. A flexible structure is interposed between the packing layer and the resilient member layer. The plurality of springs are each secured to the flexible structure. This flexible structure can be formed of a fibrous material, such as cotton.
The packing layer comprises either a bubble wrap material or a foam material which extends around the interior surface of the resilient member layer. The foam material can be a plurality of foam elements arranged in a random pattern around the interior surface of the resilient member layer.
The deformable member means includes a plurality of silicone pads which are affixed to an interior surface of the packing layer. Specifically, the plurality of pads includes a first pad affixed to an interior surface of the packing layer corresponding to the sole of a human foot, a second pad corresponding to a side of the human foot and a third pad corresponding to an opposite side of the human foot.
In the present invention, an inner layer can be affixed to the deformable member means and to the packing layer. This inner layer extends around the deformable member means and around the packing layer so as to define a cavity for receiving the human foot therein. This inner layer can be of a fibrous material, such as cotton.
The present invention is also a shoe liner which comprises a shoe having an interior surface, a resilient member layer affixed to the interior surface, a packing layer affixed to an interior of the resilient member layer, and a deformable member means affixed to an interior surface of the packing layer. The resilient member layer comprises a plurality of springs each having one end secured to the interior surface of the shoe. The packing layer can be either a bubble wrap material or a foam material. The bubble wrap material or the foam material will extend around an interior surface of the resilient member layer. The deformable member means includes a plurality of silicone pads which are affixed to an interior surface of the packing layer so as to conform to the particular contours of the human foot.